Valentine's Day
by cronashy-absentia
Summary: A series of four oneshots for Valentine's Day, set in the animeverse, with each chapter focusing on a different pairing. First is Tsustar (Tsubaki X Black*Star), then SoMa (Soul X Maka), then Kirona (Kid X Crona), and finally, Marie X Stein X Medusa (Expect drama in that one.) Enjoy, everyone! All chapters are up. Rated T because of the Stein one.
1. Star-crossed Hearts

**I decided to write a couple oneshots for Valentine's Day. (Yeah, it's overdone, but it's easy and fun to write. Don't kill me.) First is TsuStar. I've never written for this pairing before, and didn't really get into it until after watching the anime a second time. So here it is: Tsubaki and Black*Star's Valentine's Day antics.**

_**Valentine's Day**_**, Chapter One**

**Star-Crossed Hearts**

* * *

Birdsong chirped through Tsubaki's window, gently rousing her from her sleep and causing her to yawn as she pushed some of her raven-colored hair out of her face. Taking a brief glance at the clock, she smiled a little, realizing that it was early enough that she didn't have to wake up quite yet. The Dark Arm pulled her thick blanket around herself, curling up on her tatami mat and taking in a deep breath of smoke.

Smoke.

Tsubaki's eyes snapped open. The smell hit her clearly now; smoke was wafting from outside her door. She shot awake, jumping up quickly right as the fire alarm began to go off. Frantically she slid open her door and ran charging into the kitchen.

"Black*Star!" She screamed. "There's a fire, we have to get-!" She cut herself off. Her aforementioned meister stood in front of the currently-smoking stove, waving his hands to try to get the flames to die down. His green eyes glanced behind himself. Noticing Tsubaki, he grinned.

"Morning, Tsubaki!" He beamed cheerfully. "I'm makin' ya breakfast!"

Tsubaki glanced around the kitchen, seeing nothing but a mess. Eggs were cracked on the floor, tea was spilled on the counter, and blackened pancake-like… Things were piled on the table. "The pancakes look nice," She smiled a little while she grabbed the stepstool from the supply closet before setting it below the smoke detector, climbing it the steps to try and turn the device off.

Black*Star looked confused. "Those aren't pancakes," He said. "That's the juice." Tsubaki nearly fell off the stool. She glanced over at the table once more, wincing a little at the burnt former beverage.

"I didn't know you could… Burn juice…" She said quietly.

Black*Star laughed. "Anything is possible with the great Black*Star!" He grinned, setting a bowl on the table containing equally blackened, thick, clumpy liquid. Tsubaki sighed, stepping down after having removed the smoke alarm's batteries.

"So I guess this is soup?" She attempted to smile. Black*Star shook his head.

"Nuh-uh. That's the toast."

The young ninja's weapon glanced down at her food. She didn't want to not eat it after her meister had gone through all the trouble of cooking it, so she scooped a spoonful of the apparent toast and placed it in her mouth. Withholding her gag reflex, she smiled politely at Black*Star and gave him a thumbs-up. He beamed.

"I knew you'd like it! After all, it's cooked by the great Black*Star! HAHA!" He guffawed.

Tsubaki continued to smile at him as she swallowed the repulsive "food". "It's good, Black*Star," She said, "But I'm not really hungry. Thank you anyway," She told him, immediately standing and beginning to clean up the mess. Black*Star merely shrugged while turning off the stove to get it to stop smoking. His weapon glanced at him while his back was turned, smiling fondly. "So what brought this on?" She asked.

Black*Star turned around, shoving his hands in his the pockets of his sweatpants. "Duh," He muttered, causing Tsubaki to raise an eyebrow. "It's Valentine's Day."

Tsubaki looked at the calendar, pulling the broom out of the closet. "So it is," She said as she begun to sweep. She hadn't put much thought into Valentine's Day this year. Every year prior since coming to the DWMA, she had been given boxes of chocolates from teenage boys who evidently thought she was attractive, although she couldn't see it. It wasn't something she really looked forward to, as she ended up going on multiple dates for the next week and barely got to spend the most romantic day of the year with the only boy she'd want to date.

After pulling the milk from the fridge, Black*Star began to drink directly from the carton. "After I got my own breakfast, thought I'd do something nice for the best weapon ever and celebrate the day by making her a gourmet meal," He continued idly, but Tsubaki's face flushed red at his words.

"Huh," She said, trying to appear like she wasn't blushing madly. "Black*Star?" She asked, trying to swerve the topic away from herself, "Do you ever get any Valentine requests?" "_He must,_" She thought to herself. "_He's strong, hardworking, and has excellent physique. Any girl would want to date him. Someone timid like me wouldn't have a chance…_"

Her meister thought for a moment, but then shrugged. "Yeah, sometimes. Who wouldn't want to date the biggest star on Earth?" He boasted, smirking.

Tsubaki let out a small sigh while she swept. "Oh… Okay," She murmured.

"But I turn 'em all down."

This surprised the older teen. She turned around, looking directly at Black*Star. "… Really?" She said.

The blue-haired ninja nodded. "Yep! None of those peasants are worthy of my affection!" He declared. Beginning to walk back into his room, he added, "I'm gonna get dressed, 'kay? See ya in a bit."

Tsubaki smiled fondly at him once again. "Okay. I'll finish up in here," She said, waving a little. One his door was closed, she looked around the kitchen. Her optimism quickly disintegrated upon seeing the rest of the mess that she had only began to clear, causing her to sigh again. "Well… Even if he gave me ashes to eat and left the kitchen looking like it survived the apocalypse, it's the thought that counts," She told herself as she resumed sweeping.

* * *

Black*Star went out with little explanation soon after getting dressed, leaving Tsubaki alone in a quiet house. The Dark Arm then continued cleaning dutifully once she had changed out of her own nightclothes. She sighed after clearing the counter.

"I'm kind of grateful that Valentine's Day is on a Saturday this year," She murmured, "That means I don't have to get asked out by all of those classmates. But…" She trailed off, looking around the now-spotless kitchen, "But Black*Star's gone, too, so it doesn't really matter." She set the washcloth in the laundry bin robotically. To Tsubaki, any day spent without Black*Star, whether alone or with a boy she didn't care about, was boring and pointless.

Tsubaki looked around dispassionately, searching for something to catch her interest. The apartment was rather peaceful and quiet in Black*Star's absence.

"The quiet's good for one thing, anyway," She said to herself.

She didn't get to do it often, but Tsubaki found meditation calming and relaxing. It wasn't as if she was frequently stressed; she simply liked to clear her mind in silence on occasion. Although, with Black*Star around, she didn't get much opportunity to do so, anyway.

The house was devoid of every sound, excepting Tsubaki's deep breathing, as she sat in lotus position, her legs crossed over themselves on in the living room floor. However, luck isn't one to shine on the Dark Arm, and irony often takes its place. Therefore, as soon as Tsubaki closed her eyes, the front door was thrown open.

"Your star has returned!" Exclaimed Black*Star. Tsubaki nearly jumped two feet in the air. She turned around to face the door, but stopped suddenly. Her meister held a mass of red and pink in his arms. "Got somethin' for ya!" He beamed, poking his head out from behind his haul before he promptly dropped it. His weapon stood, walking over. She stared at the pile, sifting through it slightly. There were dozens of candy-filled hearts, with everything from dollar store brands to gourmet boxes of chocolates. There were also other gifts, including heart-themed stuffed animals, a heart-shaped pillow, and a couple music CDs.

"Where did this all come from?" She asked, picking up a stuffed dog with a heart in its paws.

Black*Star grinned. "Thought that after that awesome breakfast, I better follow-up with some just-as-awesome stuff!" He said. "The best partner ever deserves the best Valentine's day ever, right?" He shot her a thumbs-up.

Tsubaki's face burned red once again. "I'm really the best?" She turned her face downwards.

"Course ya are!" Black*Star shouted, throwing his arm around her shoulders. "I wouldn't let just any kid be my weapon; they had to be the absolute greatest!" His smile became slightly gentler as he turned his head to look Tsubaki in the eye. "And here you are. So there," He winked.

Tsubaki's heart began pounding when his face was so close to hers, but she did an excellent job of maintaining her calm exterior until he jumped up.

"All right, I'll leave you to marvel over my excellent gift choices!" He proclaimed, sauntering over to the couch and television.

Tsubaki smiled at his retreating form, but then switched her attention back to her gifts while keeping an ear open for her meister. It was instinctive; whenever he was near, even if her eyes were focused somewhere else, she had learned to listen for him in order to help her ninja if he got into trouble.

Pulling out one of the CDs, she inspected it. "Kalafina's latest album," She said softly to herself. Looking over the other albums, she discovered more of the same band. Confused, she sat back. As best as she could remember, the Dark Arm had only mentioned once that Kalafina was her favorite band.

"_He remembered,_" She smiled to herself, but her smile quickly fell. "_Or… Maybe he's just attentive,_" She thought. Wanting to test her theory, she moved around to see her meister sprawled out on the couch, watching Saturday morning anime. "Hey, Black*Star," She began. The young teen's attention turned to her.

"What's up, Tsubaki?" He asked, but then looked slightly concerned. "Is there something you don't like?"

Tsubaki immediately shook her head rapidly. "No, that's not it at all!" She exclaimed quickly with an awkward smile. "I was just, um… Wondering if you knew what Soul's favorite band is. You know, for future reference."

Black*Star blinked. "Uh…" He drawled slowly, "Um… Three Days Grace?"

Tsubaki's smile became gentle. "Oh. Thanks," She told him, satisfied. "_He just named the first band that came to his mind_," She giggled to herself, able to read her meister like a book. "_It's no small secret that Soul loves T.M. Revolution. This means that Black*Star really was paying attention when I said I liked Kalafina. And if he pays more attention to me than his best friend…_"

Black*Star was entirely engrossed in his TV shows, when suddenly he felt something warm and soft on his cheek. His eyes widened as he whipped around, seeing Tsubaki leaning close to his face.

"You're so sweet and thoughtful," She smiled brightly, ruffling his hair a little before she stood up. The young ninja's green eyes followed her as she began picking her new stuff up from the kitchen and carrying them back to her room. Slowly, he brought a hand up to gently touch where she had kissed him.

"By the way, Black*Star," Tsubaki added, walking from the hallway for a second trip, "Where'd you get the money to pay for all of this?"

Black*Star stared at her for a moment, trying to remember how to speak. He processed her question over and over in his mind. After a couple seconds, it finally clicked. "Oh," He said, pulling something from his pocket. His weapon visibly stiffened.

"My credit card?!" She exclaimed. Her wide eyes didn't leave the plastic rectangle for a moment, but then she sighed. After a couple seconds, she shrugged and laughed. "Well… It's the thought that counts."

* * *

**I'm not sure if it's ever mentioned in the canon that Tsubaki meditates, but it seems to me like something she'd do if the house was quiet. I also think she'd like Kalafina. (The band that sung "Lacrimosa", the 2****nd**** Black Butler ending theme, and the song at the very end of season 2) They do a lot of traditional-sounding music mixed with rock. It's cool. I don't own it, though. Or Three Days Grace. Or T.M. Revolution. (Guess what they did the opening for. It's not hard.) Oh yeah, and some of breakfast failures are a reference (that I don't own). Points if you get it. See ya next chapter, guys!**


	2. Sweet Fang

**If there's one thing this fandom had no short supply of, it's SoMa fanfics. No wonder; this ship is adorable. Happy Valentine's Day to the canon-but-not-canon couple. (By the way, this chapter covers a wider range of time than the last one, but the last part is set on the same Valentine's Day.) Rate and review, guys. Next chapter's Kirona, which I hint at in this one.**

_**Valentine's Day, **_**Chapter 2**

**Sweet Fang**

* * *

Eavesdropping can either raise your heart or crush it. Sometimes both, as Soul found out when he listened to the girls walking ahead of him in the hallway.

"I want to get something nice for Soul for Valentine's Day," Maka told Tsubaki cheerfully. Soul stared at her back. The teenage scythe felt as if he had just won the lottery. _Finally_, Maka had gotten over her childish hatred of all males and was seeing Soul as something more than-

"Because we're partners and all. I think it'd be nice."

Soul froze, dumbfounded. He could almost hear the romantic music in the background screech to a halt as it was torn off the record player. Black*Star, having apparently been listening in as well, threw his arms around Soul's slumped shoulders and therefore brought him back to reality.

"Dude, you just got partner-zoned," He grinned. Soul promptly backhanded him in the face.

The scythe attempted to console himself. It wasn't that bad, right? Plenty of his friends' relationships were merely platonic as well. Black*Star and Kid didn't really have any love lives, so at least Soul wasn't alone in the "partner zone."

"I'm thinking of getting Tsubaki some nice stuff for V-Day too, actually. Can I borrow your credit card, Soul?"

The scythe stiffened. Well, forget about being in the same boat as his friends. Soul whipped around, facing Black*Star with such a fierce, fanged scowl that the ninja instantly backed off.

"Hey, calm down, man. Chill; I'll just snag Tsubaki's," He said quickly, trying to avert the scythe's rage from himself.

Soul turned his attention to Kid. "Don't tell me you've got a date, too," He snapped.

Kid shook his head "no" calmly. "My relationships with Patty and Liz are more on the level of siblings, rather than being romantic," He explained. Soul sighed with relief, but then Kid continued, "Although, I have noticed Crona giving me some odd looks lately…"

Soul stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, eye twitching. As Kid and Black*Star passed him, the blue-haired meister turned around to the scythe. "C'mon, Soul. It's not that bad that you're the only one in the partner zone," He grinned. It took every ounce of Soul's strength to not wipe that grin off of his face. Violently. With a fist. Or his blade.

Kid sighed. "Look, Soul, I think you're overreacting. I'm sure Maka likes you very much."

Soul ground the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Yeah. Just 'likes,'" He muttered. "That's the problem. She's too set in her ways to do anything more than 'like' me."

Kid adjusted his schoolbooks in his arms as he spoke, "Well, maybe she'd understand that you like her in a more serious way if you got her something for tomorrow."

Soul huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets after he was done rubbing his eyeballs into his skull. "She just made it clear that getting the other something for Valentine's Day wouldn't say that we've got a special relationship. She just wants to get me something because we're partners," He retorted.

Black*Star crossed his arms. "Then get her something extra special!" He suggested. "That way, she'll think your relationship is special!"

Kid nodded. "That's true," He agreed. "If you get her something with a lot of thought and money put into it, rather than a cheaper gift, Maka might realize that you would have to like her a lot to put that much effort into a Valentine's Day gift."

Soul glared at the two slightly. "You guys are so material," He muttered. Slowly, however, he smirked. "But also geniuses. That just might work."

Black*Star laughed. "Of course it'll work! After all, the idea was formed in the head of the mighty Black*Star!" He declared.

Kid glanced over at the young narcissist. "I came up with the majority of the plan, dimwit," He snapped curtly. Soul walked past them, leaving the two friends to argue.

* * *

"I want to get something nice for Soul for Valentine's Day," Maka said out of the blue. The other girls looked surprised for a moment, but then Liz and Patty broke into giggles. Tsubaki merely reverted back to her gentle smile, but Crona remained surprised. A small but indignant blush spread across Maka's cheeks. "I mean, because we're partners and all. I think it'd be nice," She quickly added.

"Suuuure," Liz chuckled mischievously, elbowing Maka slightly. "Just partners. Of course you're not lying, judging by the blush that's now covering half your face," She smirked. Maka shot her a glare. To admit that she had a crush on her partner would be the undoing of Maka's independent nature, not to mention that her father would pester her more than ever and likely kill Soul. Besides, the teenage scythe meister was stubbornly set in her ways, and had just managed to admit to herself that she had fallen for her scythe.

Tsubaki looked thoughtful, ignoring her friend's harsh look. "Do you know what he'd like?" She asked.

Maka glanced up at Tsubaki, and then sighed. "No," She mumbled. "Not really. I wanted to get him a box of candy, but I don't know if he's one of those weird people who doesn't like chocolate or something," She added.

Patty giggled, poking Maka's shoulder. "Maybe you could follow him when he walks around town! See if he likes a thing and then get that thing!" She suggested.

Crona seemed nervous. "Get Kid things he likes," She murmured softly to herself, as if making a mental note.

Maka nodded in response to Patty. "I guess I could do that. But I don't think I'd be good at following Soul around," She admitted.

"Sure you would be," Liz said. "Just use some of those fancy stealth techniques that you've learned as a meister."

The green-eyed teen looked as if she was about to reply, but then Soul sauntered up from behind them. "Hey. We going home soon?" He mumbled. "I'm tired. Wanna nap."

Maka began to panic inwardly. If they went straight back to their apartment, she couldn't follow Soul anywhere. Valentine's Day was tomorrow; if she didn't buy him something today and give it to him as early as possible tomorrow, her gift would be seen as tardy and last-minute, and Maka Albarn always diligently delivered on time.

"Actually, Soul," She told him, thinking quickly, "We didn't do much physical activity in gym today. It was mostly just push-ups and sit-ups."

Soul raised an eyebrow. "That _was _activity," He said. "I still smell like sweat."

Maka shrugged. "Well, it was only arm and ab work. You need to stretch your legs."

Soul narrowed his eyes a little at her. Sure, he was head-over-heels for the girl, but sometimes Maka could be so _irritating_. "I climbed all the dang stairs up to this school and I'm gonna walk down all the dang stairs again when we go home," He retorted. "I don't need any more exercise. I'm gonna go home, eat chips, and be a couch potato," He insisted.

The green-eyed meister met his glare. "No, you're going on a walk. You need the exercise; your legs are getting fat!" She shouted. Soul's eyes widened, and she knew that she had hit a soft spot. Despite his nonchalant attitude, Soul cared more about his appearance than Maka did, as was evident in his heavy use of hair gel and designer jacket. If he was told he was getting fat, Soul would inwardly have the reaction of a female model. On the outside, he just scowled.

"I'm not fat," He snapped at her. "_Am I fat? I'm not fat! But maybe she's right… I'm fat! I'm fat, aren't I? I probably do need to exercise more; being fat isn't cool at all!_" He thought to himself. "_And… If I went on a walk, I could use the chance to get a gift for Maka,_" He added. His expression didn't change this whole time. "I guess I can go on a walk," He complied, only somewhat reluctantly.

Maka nodded, feeling triumphant. "Good. You're not allowed to go home for the next hour," She told him. "If I see you at home before then, I'm hiding your iPod."

Soul's gaze hardened. "Don't you dare," He growled, storming ahead of the group. "See ya in an hour," He snapped.

Maka watched him leave, not turning back to her friends until Soul was hidden by the after-school crowd. Liz looked at her shorter friend quizzically.

"Don't you think that was little harsh?" She asked, to which Maka shook her head.

"He'll get over it. I'll tell him tomorrow that he's not fat and he'll perk up when he sees his candy," She replied, bringing her arms behind her back and holding her hands together thoughtlessly as she trailed him.

Crona clutched her arm, rubbing it a little in her normal nervous manner. "Their relationship is weird," She stated quietly.

Tsubaki shrugged a little. "They just have different ways of expressing love," She smiled slightly.

"_Really_ different," Patty agreed.

* * *

Maka opened her bedroom door slowly and quietly. She paused for a moment when it squeaked, but upon seeing no movement from Soul's room and hearing nothing else, she continued to gingerly tiptoe her way down the hall. Tracking her partner yesterday had been tremendously exasperating, because the lazy bum that was Maka's scythe mostly just sat on a park bench for the majority of his "walk." However, when Soul was barely fifteen minutes from when he was allowed to go home, he stood. Maka had then followed him to a corner store near their apartment. Soul had wandered the isles for a little while, leading Maka to think that he was just killing time and that this whole "stealth expedition" was just a waste of energy, until he stopped suddenly. He was staring at a neat stack of candy bars on a shelf, drooling slightly at them. Soul then sighed once and walked away, but Maka took note of exactly what he had been looking at.

As soon as Soul had left the isle, his meister rushed over and grabbed one of the candy bars he had been staring at. They were huge, four times the size of a standard Hershey's bar, and a brand that she had never heard of before.

"Gourmet white chocolate flecked with strawberry pieces?" She murmured the candy's description quietly to herself, inspecting it. Upon glancing at the price, she winced. Her partner had expensive tastes. "Soul better appreciate this," She muttered, taking the bar from the shelf. Despite the rather hefty price tag, Maka then proceeded to scramble to the checkout and bring the gift home with the speed of a starved cheetah.

The young meister smiled to herself as she carefully stepped into the kitchen the following morning. "_He's gonna love _it," She thought to herself, setting the bar on the table. She had tied red ribbon around it and given it a heart-shaped tag that simply read "Soul." "_It's kinda cheesy…_" She sighed.

Soul poked his head out of his bedroom door. The sun hadn't risen yet, and he was determined to set his gift for Maka on the kitchen table before she got up.

After being told to walk yesterday, Soul had merely loafed around in a park until the last minute.

"_Maka'll think something's up if I don't get back to the apartment as soon as I'm allowed_," He had thought, striding into a corner store. He groaned a little in exasperation when he realized that he didn't know what in the world she wanted, so he merely wandered aimlessly. Without warning, he spotted his favorite candy ever. An entirely uncool dreamy smile spread across Soul's face when he saw it on the shelf in front of him, directly at eye level.

"Gourmet white chocolate flecked with strawberry pieces…" Drool dripped from his fanged jaws, prompting the scythe to wipe his mouth. He shook his head once to clear it. "Uncool," He muttered, snapping out of his candy-craving trance. He strode out of the isle, walking around the store a little bit longer. Although, he couldn't get his mind off of that candy bar. "_Well_," He reasoned, "_If I'm this obsessed with it, then Maka must at least_ like_ it. And if she doesn't, I'll ask her to share… Stupid! That's not why you buy a girl a Valentine's Day gift_!" He scolded himself as he went back to the white chocolate. There was one less bar than there had been before, but he didn't really acknowledge that fact as anything significant and made his purchase. After getting home, he had tied the gift with a green ribbon and hid it in the kitchen when Maka wasn't looking, afraid that his meister would refuse to eat it if it smelled like his room.

Maka whipped around when she heard someone walking down the hallway. She swiftly hid the candy behind her back, rapidly trying to come up with an explanation for why she was up so early.

Soul yawned, tiredly flipping on the kitchen light switch, only to be met with the blushing face of his meister. Instantly all his drowsiness was gone, to be replaced by shock. He hid the emotion well, however, and asked calmly, "What are you doing up so early?"

Maka blinked, not meeting his gaze in nervousness. "I, um… I was thirsty?" She said it like it was a question.

The scythe raised an eyebrow. "You're a terrible liar," He pointed out flatly, earning him a small glare from his partner.

"No I'm not; shut up," She snapped. "What are _you_ doing out here?"

Soul couldn't help but smirk a little. "You told me to shut up and then you asked me a question. Make up your mind."

Maka narrowed her gaze. "Answer my question."

Soul stared back, appearing nonchalant. "I was thirsty too."

"Liar."

The scythe rolled his red eyes. He didn't think she'd believe him, but he didn't really want to tell the truth, either. After pondering this for a moment, he sighed in defeat.

"Fine. I stored your Valentine's Day present out here," He muttered. Surprise, along with a heavy blush, spread across Maka's face as Soul strolled over to the kitchen cabinet where he had hid the candy. He pulled it out, showing it to her. "Here. Happy Valentine's Day," He mumbled. That hadn't gone at all how he had hoped. The scythe couldn't think of a more uncool way to give a girl a gift than what he had just done. It wasn't romantic, it was flat-out pathetic… Wait, why was she laughing?

Soul found himself melting to mush under the glow from Maka's smile, but then he quickly collected himself. "Is my gift really that bad?" He muttered, turning away from her.

Maka wiped a mirthful tear from her eye, trying to calm herself down. Only Soul could cause her emotions to jump from total embarrassment to hilarity. "N-no, it's great!" She managed between laughs. She pulled his present out from behind her back. "It's just that I got you the same thing!" She beamed. Soul stared at the gift as his meister continued speaking, "They must be really special if we both got the same thing!" She joked.

Soul was silent, but then he smiled a little. "Sure," He said, handing Maka her gift while she did the same with his. "Here. A special gift for a special meister," He smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking back to his bedroom.

"_So much for being bold and getting out of the partner zone,_" He sighed inwardly.

Maka felt her blush heat up her face once more, but then she frowned a little.

"_Just… A special meister?_" She turned around to face him.

"Hey, Soul?"

The scythe stopped in his fracks. He turned around to face Maka, his typical jaded expression set on his face. "What?" He replied.

Maka frowned a little, trying to figure out what she wanted to say now that she had his attention. "Is… Is that all you think of me?" She spoke up, "Just… A special partner? Nothing else?"

The expression in Soul's eyes changed, although his meister couldn't place his reaction. He turned around to face her fully. "_Now or never._"

"… No," He said after a minute. "You're a lot more than that, Maka. Leagues more," He murmured. Neither spoke. After a moment of silence, Soul added, "What about me? Did you get me this just because we were partners?"

Maka was quiet for another minute, but then sighed. "That was going to be my excuse," She said softly, "If you teased me about liking you as more than a partner."

Soul's expression didn't change, but the gears in his mind were turning. "I would never tease you for that," He said matter-of-factly, causing his meister to start and look him in the eye. "I'd tell you that I returned the feelings."

Maka's eyes widened. They stared at each other in silence once again, until a smile began to form on the blonde's lips. "Then… Be my Valentine, Soul?" She giggled a little.

Soul raised an eyebrow. "You sound so cheesy," He muttered, but returned the smile. "Of course, Maka."

Maka's gentle hands reached into Soul's lonely partner zone, promptly pulling him out and into her arms.


	3. Black Blush

**Time for the 3****rd**** chapter of Valentine's Day. This one's for Kirona ;) This ship is so adorable, even though it's practically not canon at all… Also, I realize that Crona blushes red once or twice in the anime, but black blush makes more sense and I'm altering the canon anyway to make this pairing so why not alter Crona's anatomy a little bit? Anyways, I don't own Soul Eater. I present to you a different type of love story.**

_**Valentine's Day**_**, Chapter 3**

**Black Blush**

* * *

"Stop pacing; you're making me dizzy," Ragnarok groaned, flopping down Crona's back. The Demon Sword simply hung there, exhibiting his exasperation with his meister. "You've been doing nothing but walk back and forth for an _hour_," He drawled.

Crona rubbed her arm in her typical nervousness. "But I don't know how to deal with this," She murmured, although she stopped walking anyway.

"Good," Ragnarok sighed with relief. "Don't ever do that again. You're enough of a nervous wreck without having to pace," He snapped. "What can't you deal with this time, wimp?"

The pink-haired meister's gaze shifted to the floor, her anxiety even more apparent than usual. "V-valentine's Day…" She said softly, causing Ragnarok to roll his beady eyes.

"Oh for Pete's sake. Don't tell me that you're another one of those lovestruck idiots?" He groaned.

Crona flinched. "I'm not an idiot…" She replied, but without much conviction as she sat down at her desk. "I'm going to call Maka," Added the teen.

Ragnarok glared at her. "Why the heck are you calling _her_?!" He asked. "I'm here! You can talk to me!"

"Exactly why I'm calling Maka," Crona replied as she picked up her new phone, earning her a punch to the head.

"You've gotten sassy. Stop it," He muttered, but then retreated into his meister's back. Crona sighed and leaned forward on the desk. She hadbeen trying to boost her confidence lately, but mostly to simply summon the courage to ask her crush to be her Valentine. When she had confessed to Maka that her heart rate sped up whenever _he _was close, the blonde had smiled brightly.

"Are you going to tell me who he is?" She asked excitedly. Crona shook her head.

"No," She had replied softly. "It's m-my secret…"

Maka gave Crona a knowing look. "I understand. But have you told him how you feel?" Upon another shake of the taller meister's head, Maka had smiled once again. "Well, there's a special holiday coming up where people tell someone they like that they like them."

Crona winced. "That sounds too risky and straightforward," She murmured.

The blonde shrugged. "Normally it is, but everybody does it on Valentine's Day," She assured her friend. "Just ask that special boy to be your Valentine. If he says yes, then he likes you back," She had told her confidently.

Crona sighed, remembering the conversation as she dialed Maka's number. It didn't take long for her friend to pick up.

"Hey, Crona!" Spoke Maka's cheerful voice. "What's up?"

Crona was silent for a moment. She hadn't exactly had a reason to call her friend; she had just been trying to escape Ragnarok. Now that she was on the phone, what was she supposed to do? "Uh," She began slowly, "Uh… Did you, um… Did you get that candy you were going to get Soul?" She asked, having finally found something to talk about.

"Yep. Soul loves it," Maka replied, giggling a little. "He actually got me the same thing… And ate the whole bar already. Quit complaining that your stomach hurts!"

Crona became slightly confused as she heard Maka direct her voice away from the phone.

"It was not 'worth it;' quit saying that! That was too much candy for one _day_, not to mention an hour! If you're gonna barf, barf in the bathroom. I just got that rug cleaned last week."

Feeling as if Maka's attention was now focused elsewhere, Crona said softly, "Um, Maka? If you're busy, I can go…"

Maka responded quickly. "No, you don't need to go! I can talk to you and…" The meister was cut off by what sounded like an irritated hippo. "Soul, stop moaning. Actually, Crona, I think I need to go to the drugstore. Soul needs something to keep him from giving me back that candy."

Crona became confused again. "I thought he already ate all of it?"

"Exactly," Muttered Maka. "I'll call you back, okay? Bye. Now, Soul, let me help you to the couch…"

Before Crona could reply, Maka had hung up. The pink-haired meister sat in silence for another moment, wondering what to do next. She was going to ask Maka for help talking to Kid, but her friend seemed occupied with her bloated weapon. Timidly, she reached for her phone again, trying to build up the courage to call Kid. However, she pulled her hand back once again. Every time she even thought about speaking to him, her mouth went dry and speech became near impossible. Black blush- rather than red, due to her abnormal blood- spread across Crona's cheeks whenever he directed his golden gaze at her, prompting the young meister to quickly turn away.

Crona couldn't explain how exactly she had fallen for Kid. It had seemed superficial, at first, as Crona had been near immediately drawn in by his confidence and appearance. It wasn't until she began to look deeper, to find out more about Kid, that she realized that she wanted the future Shinigami to be more than a friend. With Maka's help, Crona had identified those feelings; she had a crush. A heart-twisting, stomach-churning, devastating crush that Crona in no way knew how to deal with.

Swallowing her apprehension, Crona grabbed the phone before she could have second thoughts.

"_If I can't talk to him,_" She gulped as she pulled up his number, "_I'll text him."_

She did it quickly, her thin fingers typing like lighting across the screen.

_Will you be my Valentine, Kid?_

_SEND_

It wasn't until she had given the phone the cue to send the message that Crona realized she hadn't been breathing. She inhaled sharply, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself down. The teenage meister swiftly stole onto her bed, leaning against the wall as she grabbed her pillow and clutched it to her chest. It was done. Her heart had been sent to Kid in a text message, but only time would tell if he returned it.

* * *

Gallows Mansion wasn't usually a quiet place. Typically Kid was sobbing about something or Patty was laughing like a madwoman for some reason or another. That day, however, one of the only sounds was produced by Liz as she flipped through television channels.

"Can't believe Patty got asked out for Valentine's Day," She grumbled, her irritation apparent in her eyes. "I could've made it a double date. I could've gone with her. I _should've _gone with her. Who knows what trouble she'll get into on her own? It's my job to watch her; I'm her sister, darn it!" She ended up shouting.

Kid glanced over at her from his reclined position in his black leather armchair. "I'm sure she'll be perfectly fine," He told her calmly. "Patty knows how to handle herself. She knows when it's appropriate to punch a boy in the jaw," He said, turning his gaze back to his book.

Liz sighed, turning off the TV. "Yeah, but not even one guy asked me out this year? You'd think that after killing Asura and all, I'd be pretty popular," She mumbled.

Kid didn't take his eyes off his book this time. "First of all, we only helped. It was a group effort, although Maka struck the final blow. Second, I believe that you intimidate boys," He pointed out.

Kid's elder partner's slumped down into the couch. "I don't wanna be intimidating… I mean, I wanna be tough, but I wanna be likeable," She mumbled. She turned her head to face her meister, her expression one of despair. "What about you, Kid? Did you get asked out?" Upon a nod from the young Reaper, Liz cringed. "That's it. I'm alone. You and Patty are going to go on dates and fall in love and get married and I'll be the tough girl that never gets a boyfriend and I'll be forever alone…" She whimpered.

Kid raised an eyebrow. "What on earth are you talking about? I'm not going on any dates," He told her.

Liz paused from wallowing in her self-pity. "I thought you said that you got asked out."

Her meister nodded. "I did. However, I didn't accept any of the requests. There's a difference," He added. Liz looked as if she was about to ask another question, but then Kid continued, "Their requests irritated me, actually. Valentine's Day always has. During the holiday in elementary school, there were too many blushing girls trying to give me glittery heart-shaped cards, then in middle school there were too many blushing girls giving me cheesy store-bought cards. Dad was my private tutor for most of my middle school years, but when I joined the DWMA, the blushing girls turned into hormone-driven young women who simply wanted to snog a Grim Reaper. It definitely isn't my favorite holiday," He mumbled dispassionately, closing his book. "Valentine's Day is simply an excuse for people to go on dates with people they'll only like for a day and then get their heart broken. Besides, I don't want to date a girl that only likes me for my status or appearance."

The pistol sighed, waving him off. "Kid, you're taking this too seriously," She told him, but then glanced over when Kid's phone buzzed. The Reaper reached over to his mobile on the small table beside the armchair, raising an eyebrow when he saw who the message was from.

"Crona texted me," He murmured, surprised as he opened the message. When Liz saw a fierce blush spread across her meister's cheeks, her eyes lit up.

"You got a date, didn't you?" She giggled, but then her face dropped. "Which means I'm alone again…" She slumped back into the couch so that she was laying down and faced away from Kid. "I hate being a tough girl…"

Kid stared at the message, trying to make sure he was interpreting it right.

_Will you be my Valentine, Kid?_

Was it real? It seemed sudden, with no prior warning. Maybe it was a prank from Ragnarok. Wait, could he even type? The little Demon Sword didn't really have fingers. No, it couldn't be Ragnarok. But why Crona? Was she being serious?

Kid sighed, leaning back in his chair and continuing to stare at the message. Crona didn't know how to play practical jokes, and if she did, he doubted she would pull anything; she would be too scared of offending someone.

So it wasn't a prank. Crona really was asking Kid to be her Valentine.

Kid's reply didn't take much thought. To say no or to simply not answer would crush the Demon Swordsman.

Kid stood suddenly. "I'm going out," He said, placing his phone in his pocket without sending a message. "I'll be back soon. Don't have any guys over while I'm gone," He told Liz, going out the door and closing it behind him without waiting for a response. Liz sighed.

"Don't need to worry about that…"

Kid walked leisurely, his hands in his pockets as he followed his memorized route to his father's Academy. His mind, however, was focused on other things.

"_I'm going to tell her yes, of course_," He thought to himself. "_As to not crush her. But… Do I truly love her? I would be implying that if I accepted, certainly_," He frowned. "_I mean, there are plenty of things to like about Crona. Now that I think about it, she is kind of cute. She's shy, but that makes her more endearing. And I do feel protective of her, and I want her to be happy… But I don't think that that's entirely love_."

Kid sighed, turning a street corner. He crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for a pedestrian crossing sign to turn green. "_Then again… Does it really have to be?_" He tilted his head to the side as a new thought occurred to him. "_Love can develop; it doesn't have to be immediate. Some find their partners instantly, while others have to warm up to them. Even if they don't match up instantly, some people will discover after a time that they are truly meant for each other and that there's no one else for them. There are plenty of good things about Crona, and I already like her,_" He thought, beginning to smile._ "So I'm sure, that with a little time,_" He found an unfamiliar blush tint his pale cheeks, but he accepted it. "_I will love Crona._"

* * *

Crona hadn't moved from her place on her bed. Her phone hadn't rung, and she had received to text messages. She sniffed a little; Kid hadn't replied. He had rejected her.

"Crona?"

The pink-haired meister sat up with a start. That was his voice. Her Kid.

She jumped out of bed, rushing to her cell door. She stopped suddenly, taking a deep breath, before she pushed it open.

"Crona, I need to talk to you," Kid stated, looking up at her. His eye twitched slightly when he realized that the witch's daughter was a couple inches taller than him, but he shrugged it off.

The aforementioned meister looked into his eyes for a minute, but then turned her face downwards. "So… You came to reject me in person?" She whimpered, shaking a little. Kid's eyes widened, but then he sighed.

"Why are you so confident that you'll get rejected?" He mumbled.

Before Crona knew it, something warm was wrapping around her. She stiffened a little, until she realized that Kid had embraced her. Heat flew to her face again, causing black to appear on her cheeks. She jumped a little when Kid spoke again, his unexpected and quiet voice close to her ear, "I'm not rejecting you, Crona. I'm accepting you." He pulled away, leaving Crona wanting his warmth again. "I came here to ask you in person if you wanted to go to Deathbucks with me. I don't take you for a coffee person, but you could get a milkshake or something if you wanted, or you could even suggest somewhere different. It doesn't matter to me." Crona's eyes widened as Kid, the boy who made her heart pound in her ears, the boy who she had always seen as out of her reach, smiled at her. "I just want you to enjoy yourself."

It was Kid's turn to be surprised when Crona reached out and hugged him. Smiling, he hugged her back.

"Now," Kid said after a minute, as Crona slowly and reluctantly pulled away, "Accompany me to Deathbucks?" He smiled, holding out his hand like a gentleman. Crona nodded, taking his hand tentatively, but Kid grasped it.

"Y-yeah," Crona managed a smile, following Kid out the door.

Crona hadn't known much about the Reaper's son, but the first time that the timid meister had dared to look him in the eye, she immediately turned away. His eyes were the same shade of gold as Medusa's own irises, yet somehow, they were different. Kid's eyes emanated warmth and passion, while Medusa's were cold and reptilian. After a while, Crona stopped making the connection between the eyes of the Reaper and the witch, as the gentleness from Kid's eyes began to extinguish the harsh memories of her cruel mother. She couldn't explain how. She couldn't explain why she was so drawn to those eyes, why she both wanted to lose herself in their brilliance and avert her gaze in embarrassment. She couldn't explain why she studied them as diligently as Maka studied her favorite books. Just as Maka spent countless hours analyzing her favorite stories, discovering everything about them, what secrets they held, and what the words said about the author, Crona's tried to discover what Kid's eyes said about him.

The pink-haired meister had found herself looking at Kid's eyes whenever his attention was focused elsewhere. She discovered how his eyes would adopt a cold solemnity whenever he was fighting, driven by orders and a sense of duty to perfect the world and rid it of scum. She took note of how his eyes would light up whenever he found something symmetrical, how they would crumble into despair when that symmetry was ruined, and how they would narrow into deep concentration as he tried to perfect the object of his frustration, or how they would become possessed by fury when all else failed. She noticed, however, that his rage wasn't often taken out upon his enemies, but was typically spent alone in what Liz called "childish temper tantrums." Crona never saw Kid's fits as being tantrums, though. She understood. Being the son of the Grim Reaper, as a child Kid had had his every whim catered to. It was only until he began attending the DWMA, got partners, and made friends, that he had come to realize that the world was no longer going to be handed to him on a silver platter. He couldn't fix everything. There were going to be imperfections, and he was still learning to deal with that, just like Crona was just learning to deal with human interaction.

Now, they could face their insecurities together.


	4. Dissecting a Candy Heart

**Final chapter! (That should've been up days ago. Don't kill me.) Enter Doctor Franken Stein and his two lovers. Rate and review, guys, and thanks for reading! (Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater or the song lyrics I reference later in the chapter. Digital cookies if you find them.)**

**Valentine's Day, Chapter 4**

**Dissecting a Candy Heart**

* * *

Valentine's Day was something that Franken Stein never really got into as a child. He didn't really see the point, and as an elementary schoolboy he didn't really understand what a "Valentine" was. The definition was kind of confusing to begin with. You give a Valentine to someone that you want to be your Valentine? Did the term have a clear definition? Being Stein, even at age eight, he had the mind of a scientist. If he didn't understand something, he investigated it until it was clear. Unfortunately, after trying for hours to ask his teachers what exactly a Valentine was, what its word origin was, and why in the world he had to celebrate such a holiday, his search yielded no results. Stein then decided that if it couldn't be defined, it wasn't worth his time, and therefore determined that he shouldn't waste any effort on Valentine's Day again. The principle of a day where you confessed your love to another in the form of chocolate was virtually disgusting, anyway.

Stein nearly forgot about the holiday. He didn't really pay attention to what date it fell on, or what time of year it was. He enrolled in the DWMA as a meister when he was fresh out of elementary school, where Valentine's Day wasn't really recognized among the faculty. The students weren't reminded of it by their teachers, so Stein managed to avoid the red and pink heart-shaped decorations and the emotions that went with it for a while. That is, until he became a teenager. Without warning, random love letters began showing up in his locker. Some were anonymous, some not. Spirit had chortled at him.

"You're really popular with the ladies, Stein," He had joked. Stein did nothing more than glare at him before promptly tossing the slips of paper and envelopes in the trashcan, breaking the hearts of many eager onlookers.

When Stein left the school to pursue his own research, he thought that he would never again have to worry about that pointless holiday. True, he went into town in February and saw the Valentine's Day decorations, but he purposefully avoided stores that had a whole lot of them. At last; he didn't have to think about it anymore.

However, one day, Stein had returned to the DWMA as a teacher. He had worked hard to keep Valentine's Day the furthest thing from his mind, and had succeeded, until the day he heard it discussed in class.

"Hey, are you asking Maka to be your Valentine?"

"Like I'd do something as uncool as that!"

"… So, that's a yes?"

"… Yeah."

Stein raised an eyebrow. Maka had already left the classroom, and Black*Star and Soul were discussing plans for… That cursed holiday. Stein clicked his tongue passively.

"_So it's come back again,_" He sighed, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket despite the rules regarding "no smoking in the school." Rules were more of suggestions, anyway. More importantly, Stein had encountered Valentine's Day once more. Well, seeing as he was a teacher and not a student, the love letters and candy hearts would stop, right?

Wrong.

"Um, P-professor?"

Stein glanced up from his task of grading papers on the day before Valentine's Day. An older teen girl stood before him, holding out a heart-shaped box of candy.

"I know most people think you're scary," She said quietly, turning her nervous gaze away, "But… You're actually… Kind of cute," She whispered the last part. Before Stein could reply, the young woman had rushed out the door. He looked down at the plastic heart, one obviously picked up from a dollar store.

Stein blew a puff of smoke out of his lips. "She does realize that I'm practically twice her age, right?" He sighed, leaning back in his swivel chair. He threw the candy in his pocket anyway, though. The upside was that that was the last class of the day, and consequently the last class of the week. When Stein came back next week, the entire event would be over and romance would be forgotten. In the meantime, he could go home to his quiet, relaxing, greyscale lab where he didn't have to listen to students go on about their crushes, neither would he have to look at the sickening decorations plastered in stores across town.

Coincidentally, Stein had forgotten that his weapon partner was a hopeless romantic.

When he opened his door back at home, Stein visibly paled. Hearts. Hearts everywhere. On the wall, on the table, in the flower arrangements… Since when did his house even have flower arrangements to put hearts in?! Stein groaned as he sat down, gingerly picking up a heart-shaped pillow and placing it far away from him as if afraid that the pink hue might rub off on him.

"Welcome home, Stein!" Marie smiled, coming in from the back room. "How were your students?"

Stein lit another cigarette. "Lovestruck," He muttered, inhaling the vapors.

Marie giggled. "Isn't it adorable?" She said, her eyes lighting up. "I love this time of year."

Her meister glanced around the living room. "When did you even get the time to set all of this up?"

"I finished teaching before lunch, so I came back to decorate," Smiled the blonde as she repositioned a vase. "I realize that I'll have to take it down in two days, but I only just bought all of it yesterday," She added sheepishly. "Although… It's really cute, so I might leave it up longer…"

"I'll help you take them down," Stein said quickly. There was no way he was going to have those silly things up for longer than they needed to be. Why they were called hearts, he didn't know. They looked nothing like the human heart. Human hearts were more interesting, anyway. Much more fun to take apart.

Marie glanced over at him, but then smiled. "You're so helpful, Stein," She said. Stein blinked. Whenever she fixed him with that innocent smile, Stein stopped whatever he was doing until she turned her attention away again. He even stopped thinking of anything but Marie. For those small seconds, his entire world was filled with her. It irritated him slightly that he couldn't scientifically explain why she enticed those emotions within him.

As soon as Marie turned back to her flowers, the spell was broken. Stein breathed out smoke and stood, twisting his bolt slightly. "I'm going to work on my computer for a little while," He mumbled, striding lazily over to his desk. Marie nodded.

"All right. When you're done, I'll have dinner ready," She told him. Stein glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I can make my own dinner," He replied, causing Marie to roll her eyes slightly.

"You can't even make a grilled cheese sandwich," She deadpanned as she strode into the kitchen. "If I left you to your own devices, you'd be living on soda and microwave ramen."

Stein turned his attention back to his computer. "Don't forget cereal," He added. Marie replied with a dry laugh as she began cooking up pasta.

* * *

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. Marie made an excellent pasta, as was expected. Stein complimented the meal to the best of his ability, which wasn't much, but Marie knew that her meister typically meant a lot more than he said.

Marie retired to bed pretty soon after dinner, although Stein stayed up late, per the norm. The silver-haired doctor didn't get to bed until around one in the morning. All in all, everything was relatively normal. That was why Stein's nightmares were so unexpected.

Stein hadn't experienced nightmares since Asura's defeat. He had come associate them as a by-product of madness, but he had been feeling perfectly calm all that day. It made no sense why his thoughts were plagued with images of Medusa, looming over him, cackling madly, ripping Stein's own heart out of his chest and showing it to him before he blacked out.

"_Stole your heart, Stein_," She taunted him, her arrow-shaped tail swishing back and forth, almost as if she was playful rather than murderous.

Stein jerked awake, head and heart pounding. He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to calm his breathing. That was new. He never awoke from a dream worked up like that. In addition, he was used to lucid dreaming and being able to alter his fantasies, but he had had no control over this dream. Something was off.

Glancing out the window, Stein discovered daylight as he detected the faint smell of pancakes wafting up from the kitchen. Yawning, Stein slipped his day clothes on and headed downstairs.

"Good morning, Stein!" Marie smiled cheerily, still in her nightgown. "Happy Valentine's Day!" She beamed as she set a pile of pink, heart-shaped pancakes down on Stein's place at the table. "I'm really proud of these pancakes. Isn't it great what you can do with some food coloring and a cookie cutter?"

Stein resisted the urge to throw up. The pancakes tasted fine as usual, but the shape and color made Stein decide to avoid Marie until Valentine's Day was over. In addition, that dream was still pressing on his mind.

"Since it's Valentine's Day, I figured we could do something nice," Marie spoke as she ate her own pancakes. "We could go to the movies, or just rent a movie, or…"

"I'm going to be spending the rest of the day in the lab," Stein cut her off, placing his empty plate in the sink. "Get me if the house is on fire or one of my students becomes a Kishin in a day." With that, he trudged into his lab and soundly closed the door behind him. He didn't notice Marie's disappointed frown, or how she suddenly lost her appetite.

Stein sighed, going over to the freezer. There were plenty of preserved animals in there that he hadn't dissected yet. Without much hesitation, he pulled out the snake he had been keeping. Again, he was puzzled. He had held off dissecting the snake because it reminded him of madness. Of _her_. Why didn't he care today?

"Because it's Valentine's Day, Stein."

The Doctor whipped around, but no one was behind him. He knew that voice. He could never decide of if he wanted to hear more of its smooth tone, or rip the vocal chords out of her throat so he'd never have to hear it again.

"Where are you?" He growled.

The voice laughed. "Temper, Stein. Calm down; you know what anger does to your madness."

Stein slammed his fist down on the table. "Where are you?!" He roared.

The laughter stopped abruptly. The room was entirely silent. Stein began to relax, unclenching his fist. But then, without warning, his eyes met a set of golden irises with slit pupils.

"I'm in your head, Stein," Medusa told him calmly.

Rage filled Stein's face as he swung his fist around, but it passed right through the witch's apparition.

"I just said that I'm in your head. A simpleton would take that to mean that you can't touch me," Medusa stated, tilting her head innocently. "Unless I want you to, of course. I should think you'd know that, Stein. Or has your intelligence deteriorated in my absence?"

Stein turned his face away. "Why are you even here?" He spat.

Medusa smirked, leaning against the opposite wall. "Now we're getting somewhere," She said. "Simply put, you're seeing me now because it's Valentine's Day."

Stein glanced back at her, narrowing his eyes. "Care to elaborate?" He muttered curtly, silently agreeing to play her game.

Medusa's smirk became a grin when she noticed his compliance. "Well, Stein, no matter how much you want to deny it, you acknowledge Valentine's Day like the rest of the world; as a holiday devoted to love. Perhaps it's subconscious, but you've been thinking about love."

Stein crossed his arms. "And what does that have to do with you?"

The witch mimicked his motion as she chuckled. "You love me, Stein," She winked at him, causing the Doctor's eyes to widen. "I am the embodiment of your madness; a mere fragment of me exists within your soul. But you're not mad right now, Stein. I'm here because you were thinking of your love. Hence, you were thinking of me," She purred.

The silver-haired meister tried not to flinch as Medusa pushed herself off of the wall and walked up to him. Her tail was swaying from side to side, just like it had been in his dream. Her grin fell as she snaked her arms around his neck, leaning against him. "You don't know how _agonizing _it is, Stein," She sighed, drawing out the word "agonizing" to emphasize it, "Being dead. I'm practically just a figment of your imagination. Technically, I don't exist. I can't feel the world like I did before. And you're always there, taunting me by doing what I can't and simply _existing_."

Stein tensed the more she talked. Medusa buried her face in his shirt, almost child-like, taking a deep breath. "But I can smell you. Alive. You smell like smoke, blood, and sweat, but you smell _alive_," She murmured, turning her head to the side. The witch unwound one of her arms from Stein's neck before pulling aside his lab coat. More gently than Stein thought possible for her, Medusa then placed her hand on the single layer of fabric over the scientist's heart. "I can hear it, too. Your heart pounding in my head," She whispered. She glanced up at Stein, her expression blank. "We could be together, you know. All it would take is a scalpel," She murmured, pulling her hand away from his heart and simply placing one finger upon the area, "Right through here."

Stein's eyes widened. The Doctor abruptly grabbed Medusa's shoulders and shoved her away, holding her at arm's length. "Don't you dare," He hissed, turning his face to the floor and not making eye contact. "I'm not willing to die to be with you."

Medusa's poker face broke, revealing another smirk. "Ah, but you're willing to do something?" She taunted. Feeling Stein stiffen, she laughed. "I knew I could get you to say it. You're so fun to mess with, Franken." She knelt down so she could look into his eyes. She grinned victoriously. "How about you just make this simple and come right out with it. It's not too hard. It's just three little words; they're easy to pronounce, too. I'll show you how, and then you follow my lead, all right? I. Love. You. See? It's not hard," She grinned at him.

Stein's olive-colored eyes flicked upward to meet the witch's. "You know as well as I do that there are two sides of me," He muttered. Medusa frowned when he didn't repeat her words, but said nothing and let him continue. "The two sides conflict enough to give me entirely different love interests. Now, I don't claim to understand love. But up until you, I didn't think as if I was capable of it," He said, standing upright. Medusa followed suit. "I will say this, Medusa. At one time, and perhaps even now, the side of my soul that is plagued with madness loved you."

Medusa smirked at him. "There you go. Good job in admitting it," She chortled as she walked close to him once more. "But of course, there's a Yin to every Yang, as the saying goes."

Stein glared at her slightly. "What's what supposed to mean?" He snapped. Medusa put her hands on her hips, her smirk never leaving her lips.

"Meaning that if your insane side loves someone, then your sane side must love someone as well," She explained. "Really, Stein, must I explain everything to you?" She teased him.

It didn't take Stein long to put two and two together. There was only one other woman who could become the object of his full and undivided attention. One woman whose smile melted whatever stress Stein would have had that day. One woman who's every touch sent ripples of warmth trough Stein's body. He had been ignoring the sensation, but now it was staring him in the face and he could deny its truth no longer. He loved her.

"Marie," He whispered. At this revelation, Medusa's smirk dropped.

"Yes. Her," She mumbled, contempt touching her voice for a moment. She quickly hid it again as she stepped against Stein. Before Stein could react, she had put her hands on the sides of his face. "But wouldn't you much rather be with me?" And then her lips were on his.

Stein's eyes widened. The analytical part of himself reminded him that she was just a shard of herself; practically a figment of his imagination. However, his madness began to object, and he slowly stopped caring. Even if she didn't really exist, it felt _so good_. He found his eyes slipping closed as his arms wrapped around the witch's waist, pulling her closer. Her hands moved up to his bolt, twisting it a tiny bit. After a moment, Medusa pulled away slightly. "I love you," She murmured, her lips still brushing up against his as she spoke. "But you have to choose, Stein…" She was going to say more, but Stein was tired of her lips teasing his. He pressed forward, capturing her in mid-sentence. The witch was surprised for a moment, but then she smirked, tangling her fingers in his soft hair.

"Stein?"

Suddenly, the warmth of Medusa's lips and hands were gone. Stein's eyes opened to see nothing but his empty lab before him.

"What are you doing?"

Stein turned his head, finding Marie standing in the doorway.

"I came in here to tell you that I was going to the store and to ask if you want anything," The blonde said slowly. She analyzed the scene quickly; Stein was backed up against his examination table, his hair tussled, and his mouth was hanging open. Putting the clues together, one would think that he had just been kissing someone. However, there was no possible way that there was a girl hiding in the lab, as there wouldn't have been enough time for her to scramble away from Marie's gaze. Besides, sneaking someone into his lab seemed entirely out of character for Stein. For Spirit, maybe, but not Marie's meister. Since she had ruled out all those possibilities, only one option remained. Maries' eyes went from confused, to accusing, until finally they became concerned. "_He's delusional._" She wanted to ask who it was Stein thought he had been kissing, but didn't for the sake of politeness.

"Actually, Stein," Marie began again, "I think it'd be better if you came with me to the store. You look like you need to get out of your lab," She smiled at him. Stein blinked slowly at her, but then nodded before following Marie out the door.

Stein's head was clear after a few minutes as they walked down the road to the store, and the Doctor wanted to punch himself. "_Why on earth did I let her kiss me?!_" He growled to himself. "_Darn witch. Still…_" He sighed, "_Much as I hate to admit it, she's right. My madness _does _love her, even if my sane side wants to snap her neck._" His gaze focused ahead of him, on Marie. "_But… She also helped me see that I love Marie_," He couldn't resist a smirk. "_Thanks, Medusa._"

Marie suddenly noticed that she could no longer hear Stein's footsteps. She stopped, turning around to look for him. She raised an eyebrow in confusion when she saw that he was buying flowers in a stand a ways down the sidewalk. She pouted a little, crossing her arms as Stein paid for the bouquet and walked back up to her.

"Are those for your imaginary girlfriend?" She muttered, facing away from him. Stein stopped, frowning.

"No," He told her. "One, she's not imaginary. She's Medusa, and manifests herself in my madness." Before Marie could respond, he continued, "Two, I'd give her flowers over my dead body." He thought he heard Medusa huff, but he ignored her. "These are yours."

SImmediately, Marie's face turned a vibrant shade of red. "R-really?" She stuttered. Stein nodded, placing the bouquet of purple, red, pink, and white flowers in her arms.

"I remember you saying you liked purple. You're right; it does go well with your eyes," Stein said emotionlessly. However, Marie could read her meister better than he could read himself. She knew that he had said that with all the sincerity and sweetness in his soul. Holding the flowers to the side, Marie stepped forward and hugged him. A broad smile spread across her face. Stein didn't move for a minute, but then he slowly leaned forward and laid his head on top of Marie's, and his hand came up to stroke her hair.

"_You can never truly be with her_," Medusa's voice taunted him. "_Your madness loves _me, _remember?_"

Stein smiled a little. "_You're right,_" He admitted, "_And my sanity loves Marie. But Marie's special_," He told her, "_Because she loves both sides of me. No matter if I'm insane or not, she loves me. Which is more than can be said for you._"

When Medusa didn't reply, Stein knew that he had won. The silver-haired meister also discovered that day that he didn't really mind Valentine's Day as much as he had thought.


End file.
